No more mismatches? Uefa revamps qualifying for men’s major tournaments

• Changes apply to World Cup and Euro qualifiers

• Starts in 2028-29 season with elements of Swiss system

Europe’s larger nations will no longer face mismatches against minnows such as San Marino or Andorra in men’s World Cup and European Championship qualifying after Uefa agreed a new format designed to produce more competitive fixtures.

As reported by the Guardian in April the structure, which will take effect after Euro 2028, will be based on the most recent set of Nations League rankings. It will also include elements of the Swiss system implemented across Uefa’s club competitions over the past two seasons, meaning in effect that teams compete in larger groups.